We all want to save money on our insurance. And there’s lots of ways for you to find great discounts on car insurance. However, there are a lot of things that dictate how much you end up paying for such as what kind of car you drive and your driving record.
Did you know, your state also mandates what you’re going to be paying for in insurance?
Each state has a minimum requirement of coverage needed.
This means that even if a driver gets a quote for cheap insurance in one state, another state might have them paying twice as much!
What Needs to be Covered?
There are 4 types of policies that insurance providers will help you cover if you get into an accident. Every state has a minimum amount of coverage for each of these policies. Always assess the risks you and your vehicle pose before you decide to go with the minimum requirement.
Even though you may want to find the cheapest insurance for affordability, you may want to consider higher coverage for things that you’re a greater risk to. For example, you may have a truck that’s exclusively used for off-roading activities. Since off-roading can be dangerous, you might want a higher bodily and personal injury policy. However, an off-roading truck would be well-suited for the lowest amount of property damage since it’s not likely to get into an accident with another vehicle.
Bodily Injury
If you get into an accident that’s your fault, this coverage will take care of all medical expenses and lost wages of the other person.
Personal Property Damage
If you get into an accident that’s your fault, this coverage will handle damages done to the other person’s property, not your own. Let’s say you rear-end someone, damaging their bumper and totalling your car. This coverage will pay for the other person’s bumper to be fixed, but cannot replace your own vehicle.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
This will cover all your own medical bills, and even cover disability and death expenses. Many states do not require you to have this coverage, but if you live in a “no-fault” state, you will generally have to have this coverage. It’s also referred to as PIP coverage.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Protection
If you get into an accident that is not your fault, the other driver at-fault will need to cover yours and your passenger’s expenses. But the other driver has no or little insurance, this policy will ensure that you will be protected.
Per Person and Per Accident Coverage
Each policy will have a per-person and per-accident limit and requirement. The per-person limit covers each person injured in an accident. This means that if only one person is injured in an accident you caused, the total amount of coverage would go towards them.
The per-accident limit covers accidents where multiple people are injured and need coverage. This means that the total amount of coverage will take care of each person, and only up to the per-person limit for each person injured.
Minimum Amount of Insurance By State
The state of Kansas has additional minimum requirements outside of their PIP total. Drivers must also have coverage for at least:
- $4,500 in medical expenses
- $900 a month for a year for disability or income loss
- $25 a day for in-home services
- $2,000 for funeral burial or cremation costs
- $4,500 for rehabilitation
- Survivors benefits for disability and loss of income
| Alabama | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Alaska | $50,000 bodily injury liability per person $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Arizona | $15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Arkansas | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| California | $15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $5,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Colorado | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Connecticut | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Delaware | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $15,000 personal injury protection per person $30,000 personal injury protection per accident |
| Florida | $10,000 property damage liability per accident $10,000 personal injury protection |
| Georgia | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Hawaii | $20,000 bodily injury liability per person $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $10,000 personal injury protection |
| Idaho | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Illinois | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Indiana | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Iowa | $20,000 bodily injury liability per person $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Kansas | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Kentucky | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $10,000 personal injury protection or a single limit of $60,000 |
| Louisiana | $15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $1,000 medical payment coverage $15,000-$30,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage |
| Maine | $50,000 bodily injury liability per person $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $100,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $2,000 medical payments coverage |
| Maryland | $30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident $30,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $60,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $15,000 uninsured/underinsured property damage coverage per accident |
| Massachusetts | $20,000 bodily injury liability per person $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident $5,000 property damage liability per accident $20,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $40,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $8,000 personal injury protection |
| Michigan | $20,000 bodily injury liability per person $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident outside Michigan $1 million property protection within Michigan Unlimited personal injury protection **Subject to change July 1, 2020 |
| Minnesota | $30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $40,000 personal injury protection |
| Mississippi | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Missouri | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Montana | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Nebraska | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Nevada | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident |
| New Hampshire | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage $1,000 medical payments coverage |
| New Jersey | $5,000 property damage liability per accident $15,000 personal injury protection |
| New Mexico | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident |
| New York | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $50,000 liability for death per person $100,000 liability for death per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person $50,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident $50,000 personal injury protection |
| North Carolina | $30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $30,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $60,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage per accident |
| North Dakota | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $30,000 personal injury protection |
| Ohio | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Oklahoma | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Oregon | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $15,000 personal injury protection |
| Pennsylvania | $15,000 bodily injury liability per person $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident $5,000 property damage liability per accident $5,000 medical benefits |
| Rhode Island | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| South Carolina | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage |
| South Dakota | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Tennessee | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Texas | $30,000 bodily injury liability per person $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Utah | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $65,000 bodily injury liability per accident $15,000 property damage liability per accident $3,000 personal injury protection |
| Vermont | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $100,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $10,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage per accident |
| Virginia | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident $20,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage per accident |
| Washington | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident |
| Washington, D.C. | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $5,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage per accident |
| West Virginia | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $25,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage |
| Wisconsin | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $10,000 property damage liability per accident $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident |
| Wyoming | $25,000 bodily injury liability per person $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident $20,000 property damage liability per accident |
How Much Insurance Should You Get?
Despite what your state requires you to have, you should assess the risks both you and your vehicle pose. If you still want to save on car insurance, be sure to look at which insurance provider can offer you the best deal as a driver. To find out more about how you can save on car insurance, read our page on how to save money on car insurance.